Able Voice Podcast

Let's recap a few of our favourite moments from season 4! In episodes 10 and 11 we spoke with Kim Best, Sarah Bell, & the ladies of the Synergy MT team for a two-part REAL TALK. Both incredible conversations in their own right with lots of important takeaways and thought-points.

You get to hear our thoughts in this minisode, but we want to hear from you! Let us know your Season 4 takeaways by leaving a review on our podcast channel OR connecting with us on social media. :)

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Let's take it back to the start of season 4! In episodes 2 and 3 we chatted with the World Congress of Music Therapy organizers & the ladies of Wellington Music Therapy Services. Both incredible conversations in their own right with lots of fun takeaways and thought-points.

You get to hear our thoughts in this minisode, but we want to hear from you! Let us know your Season 4 takeaways by leaving a review on our podcast channel OR connecting with us on social media. :)

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In this episode, we get to spend some quality time with the fabulous Hayley Francis Cann (She/Her). Hayley is passionate about lots of things including accessibility, anti-oppressive practice, and finds her clinical passion in working with older adults, children, and in neurologic rehabilitation. She currently provides music therapy services to Bermuda and additionally, Hayley is a presenter, author, and current president of the Canadian Association of Music Therapists. 

In this episode we were joined by 3 incredible music therapists with varied experiences in the realm of government regulations across Canada.

Kristen DiMarco, MTA, RP is a certified Music Therapist & Registered Psychotherapist experienced in providing compassionate music-centred psychotherapy in community, hospital, and long term care settings. She is currently the Government Regulation Chair on the board of the Music Therapy Association of Ontario.

Dr. Susan Summers, NMT, AVPT, MTA (MMT, PhD, B.Ed, BPE) is a singer and musician who has over twenty years experience in using her musical gifts and passion in service of others through music therapy and vocal psychotherapy. Susan is a professor at Capilano University and also runs a small private practice in BC. She completed her doctoral degree in leadership and change, and is excited to have published her dissertation called "Portraits of vocal psychotherapists: Singing as a healing influence for change and transformation". 

Colleen Kehler, MTA is a music therapist in Calgary Alberta working at Alberta Children’s Hospital. She is currently one of the music therapists on the board of the Counselling Therapy Association of Alberta. Colleen is passionate about increasing safety for the public and decreasing barriers to accessing music therapy and other counselling professionals in the community.

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JD Hogue (he/him) offers a rare combination of skills as he combines music therapy and statistics. He is a statistician and board-certified music therapist with over 10 years’ experience combining data analysis, research, and program evaluation. In this episode we talk about the ways statistics and program evaluation can support and compliment music therapy work.

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Synergy Music Therapy is the sister practice to the Able Voice Podcast founded by Hayley Francis Cann and Kimberly Dolan. In this episode we are joined by some of our clinical team members including Jessica Nielsen, Rebekah Armstrong, Olivia Maveal, and Nicole Cordeau. We had such a wonderful time chatting with Sarah and Kim during the first "REAL TALK" conversation that we were inspired to have more. This was another fantastic chat from the perspective of certified music therapists in various points in their career. Our main takeaways from these two episodes are that more spaces to have these types of conversations are needed. SO, this will not be the last of these REAL TALK chats. This series will return in a future season of AVP. For now, enjoy this REAL TALK chat with the Synergy Music Therapy team.

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In this episode, we have an open and honest conversation about our work as music therapists - the ebs, the flows, the ups, the downs, the lessons learned and what we wish we knew sooner.

Kim Best is a board-certified music therapist based in Rochester, New York. Kim has clinical experience providing Music Therapy with adults with Dementia, children with Autism and various intellectual/developmental disabilities, adults with Mental Health challenges, Adults with cancer, and those at the end of life for the last 10 years. She is the founder of Kim Best Music Therapy, co-host of Seasons of Resilience podcast, and the host of Not Your Average Music Therapist podcast. 

Sarah Bell is a certified music therapist based in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia. Sarah has clinical experience working in psychiatric care and community mental health programs serving adults and young adults with anxiety and depression


, children and young adults with neurodiversity, university students with anxiety and depression, amateur musicians
 with burnout, trauma informed support groups
 for women, newcomer/refugee communities

, Indigenous communities, and

 transient communities. Sarah is the founder of Bell Counseling Services with a passion for Supervising and EDI work.

We thoroughly enjoyed this chat with Sarah and Kim, so much that more honest conversations like this are coming soon. For now, we hope you enjoy this first REAL TALK. 

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What do three millennial women of varying professions have in common? A shared philosophy and passion for enhancing dementia care and supporting those they work with!

In this episode of the Able Voice Podcast we are joined by Kaylee (MT-BC), Jaell (Art Therapist + Mental Health Counselor), and Erin (Positive Approach to Care® Certified Independent Trainer), of the Creative Dementia Collective. They share of their individual journeys, the carepartner relationship, and their new legacy workbooks.

As a multi-modality trio, these millennials have an extensive toolkit to best support those they work with and they use this to their advantage knowing that “Different things work for different people at different times”.

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Dr. Sandi Curtis, MTA, MT-BC is the founder and Distinguished Professor Emerita for the music therapy program at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. She is the author of “Music for Women Survivors of Violence” (Barcelona Publishers, 2019) and co-investigator in a $2.5 million Social Sciences and Humanities research grant, iMPACTS: Addressing Sexual Violence on Campus. Dr. Sandi Curtis is an internationally trained music therapist, with extensive experience in clinical practice, education, and research. She has worked with palliative care patients, disabled adults, and survivors of male violence.

As part of social action work to eliminate male violence and assist survivors, Dr. Curtis produced a film titled "Beyond #MeToo" linked in the description below this episode. We're privileged to welcome Dr. Sandi Curtis to the Able Voice Podcast to talk about her work with Women Survivors of Violence.

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Roia Rafieyan recently retired from long-term employment as a music therapist in a residential care facility in the United States. Most of the last 33 years were spent in the company of institutionalized nonspeaking Autistic people with whom she collaboratively and continuously worked to evolve into a more respectful music therapist.

Roia spent most of her time as a music therapist working in a state facility for people labelled with various intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Voices article authored by Roia titled, "Getting to 'no' you: When nonspeaking autistic people refuse music therapy," notes that nonspeaking people are often placed in music therapy, not necessarily because they want to be there. She believes it's incumbent upon us, as music therapists, to learn how nonspeaking people communicate "no," so we can begin to honor efforts at self-determination/self-advocacy.

Roia’s current interests are arts-based research, collage, and reading. Her enduring interests are relationally-based music therapy approaches, reflexive practice and clinical supervision.

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Sophie’s Place is a nonprofit organization made possible by the Forever Young Foundation. Their mission is to bring music therapy clinics to pediatric hospitals throughout the nation. Sophie’s Place is named for Sophie Barton, a young singer-songwriter who loved to volunteer at Primary Children’s hospital before she passed away due to heart complications. Steve and Barb Young, founders of the Forever Young Foundation, strive to honor Sophie’s memory through bringing music and healing to young hospital patients all over the US. They are passionate about the real medicinal benefits of music therapy.

There are currently 6 Sophie’s Place locations across the US with more to come! We are pleased to welcome two therapist’s from the Sophie’s Place team to the podcast: Maleea Roy and Jesse Morgan.

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In this episode, Rachael Finnerty joins us to talk about the Music Therapy Academy and advocating through education.

Rachael has been recognized as a music therapist since 2001, has served as the president of the Music Therapy Association of Ontario from 2010-2014 and was the recipient of the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, for Healthcare in 2015. Rachael graduated from Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge, England) in 2001, with a Master Music Therapy and she began her graduate studies in Psychology, Neuroscience and behaviour in September 2019 with a research focus on the use of music therapy for proactive wellness. Rachael has experience working in both a hospital setting and private practice where she established over 30 music therapy programs in Ontario (across Durham Region, York Region, Niagara, Hamilton and Kitchener) and opened a music therapy studio (in Hamilton ON). Rachael brought 2 music therapy courses to McMaster University in 2010 and currently educates over 3000 students each academic year about music therapy.

Her focus began to shift from clinical work to education, mentorship and supervision. To provide further education to the community and healthcare professionals Rachael founded the Music Therapy Academy. We had a beautiful chat with Rachael about this journey, the story behind the academy, and all the great work she is currently doing.

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In this episode, Katie Zaccardi joins us to talk about being a financially stable musician, tips and tricks to managing finances, and reducing shame around the money conversation.

Katie is a coach and educator for musicians, music teachers, and music coaches, helping them grow their business & bank accounts while ditching overwhelm, self-doubt, and burnout for good. After dedicating 10+ years of her life to the music industry as a student, indie artist, and music industry professional, and creating a life of freedom, abundance, & music for herself, she founded "Out to Be" to give music entrepreneurs the tools, support, & motivation to do the same.

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We are excited to welcome Pam Lansbergen and Alan Lee of the World Congress of Music Therapy planning committee to the podcast today! The upcoming congress is to be held in beautiful Vancouver, BC this July 2023. We’re grateful to Pam and Alan for stopping by the Able Voice Podcast to share a little bit more about what we can expect from the congress this year!

Welcome to Season 4 of the Able Voice Podcast! If you are new here... we're glad to have you join us for this journey of creating an archive of music therapy and creative professional stories. Through conversations with music therapists & allied professionals in Canada and around the world, we listen to unique stories and learn more about interesting projects and various passions for music therapy. Our initiative is to celebrate our unique journeys as music therapists and provide tangible resources and professional development opportunities for MTAs through this medium. 

Miya Adout is a graduate of Concordia University where she received a Master of Arts in Creative Arts Therapies after having completed a BA in Cultural Studies. Miya works with individuals of all ages and abilities and specializes in dementia care. Miya opened her private practice, Miya Music Therapy, in 2015 with the purpose of empowering and enriching lives through music. Their team of certified music therapists provide services to individuals and care-facilities throughout Ontario and beyond via both in-person and virtual sessions. Aside from her clinical work, Miya is also passionate about sharing the impact of music therapy through keynote presentations and workshops. Miya also provides business coaching to healthcare entrepreneurs, and is the creator of Connect 2 Music Therapy: An Online Global Magazine for Music Therapists. When she's not working on expanding her practice, Miya enjoys playing with her toddler, spending time in nature, and practicing photography.

Esther Thane has specialized since 1996 in the field of Autism and special needs. After over a decade on faculty at Capilano University, teaching in the Bachelor of Music Therapy Program, Esther continues to enjoy presenting at conferences, writing book reviews for published journals, & holding workshops for universities, local agencies and internationally. In 2014, Esther completed Dr. Diane Austin's (Music Psychotherapy Center, NY) first international distance training program in Advanced Vocal Psychotherapy. Her publication in the book: Voicework in Music Therapy (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), focuses on her innovative method of Vocal-Led Relaxation for Children with Autism.

Esther also created Meet In The Music© (MITM) music therapy curriculum for children with autism, which is utilized by music therapists throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Esther is Executive Director of ET Music Therapy in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where the team serve over 120 families with both in person and telehealth: in two studio locations, & in schools, implementing the MITM curriculum. In 2017, Esther received the Iconic Women Creating a Better World For All Award, presented by the Women Economic Forum in New Delhi, India. Recently, Esther received CAMT’s (Canadian Association For Music Therapy) PEER RECOGNITION AWARD for innovation and advocacy.

Maya Chriqui (MTA) is a seasoned music therapist and the owner of Music at Heart providing music therapy services to the St. Catherines, Ontario area. She has a great deal of experience working in various settings with allied health professionals and travelling for work across Canada and to Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean.

Maya Chriqui (MTA) is a seasoned music therapist and the owner of Music at Heart providing music therapy services to the St. Catherines, Ontario area. She has a great deal of experience working in various settings with allied health professionals and travelling for work across Canada and to Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. 

Elaine Cheung (she/her) is a Certified Music Therapist currently living in Calgary, Canada. Elaine’s practice, Elements Music Therapy, is humanistic and aims to provide opportunities to maximize a person's potential for change and growth. Elaine earned a Master of Music Therapy degree at Wilfrid Laurier University and received a Bachelor in Music prior to that. Elaine also represents music therapists in the province of Alberta as the President of MTAA.

Elaine Cheung (she/her) is a Certified Music Therapist currently living in Calgary, Canada. Elaine’s practice, Elements Music Therapy, is humanistic and aims to provide opportunities to maximize a person's potential for change and growth. Elaine earned a Master of Music Therapy degree at Wilfrid Laurier University and received a Bachelor in Music prior to that. Elaine also represents music therapists in the province of Alberta as the President of MTAA.

Celebrate good times, come on!!

A couple of weeks ago Synergy Music Therapy & Wellness Services celebrated our first birthday, and we are in full celebration mode in this episode of the Able Voice debrief. In this episode we chat about the pits and peaks of the past year and collectively reflect on our journey leading up to Synergy MT's launch and the first 365 days. We are SO grateful for all of the incredible people that we have had the honour to connect and collaborate with in this past year, and we are elated to celebrate this milestone with the Able Voice community where it all started.

Join us for a little road trip to the 2022 CAMT Conference in Niagara. To set the scene, it was about 5am EST and both Hayley and Kim had very little sleep the night before. They started driving and decided the conversation was too good not to capture. So, they turned on the microphone and here we are... PODCAST IN A CAR! 

In this episode, Hayley and Kim talk about the roles of a music therapy participant and a music therapy participant supporter. The roles of both are super valuable to the session and hold an incredible opportunity to get involved and understand more about the music therapy process. 

Aksana Kavaliova-Moussi is a certified music therapist (MTA), Registered Psychotherapist, Neurologic Music Therapist Fellow and Certified Trauma Integration Clinician. She had her private practice in the Kingdom of Bahrain for 11 years before coming back to Canada in 2020. Aksana is a full time psychotherapist at the Family Counselling Centre of Niagara, and has a small music therapy and psychotherapy private practice working with individual with developmental disabilities, mental health issues (including trauma), and in the long term care. Aksana is a secretary of the World Federation of Music Therapy, vice-president of the Music Therapy Association of Ontario, and a co-chair of the Online Conference for Music Therapy.

Aksana Kavaliova-Moussi is a certified music therapist (MTA), Registered Psychotherapist, Neurologic Music Therapist Fellow and Certified Trauma Integration Clinician. She had her private practice in the Kingdom of Bahrain for 11 years before coming back to Canada in 2020. Aksana is a full time psychotherapist at the Family Counselling Centre of Niagara, and has a small music therapy and psychotherapy private practice working with individual with developmental disabilities, mental health issues (including trauma), and in the long term care. Aksana is a secretary of the World Federation of Music Therapy, vice-president of the Music Therapy Association of Ontario, and a co-chair of the Online Conference for Music Therapy.

Rebekah Martin is a board -certified music therapist and NICU Music Therapist who has worked in the pediatric medical setting for four years. She currently lives in beautiful Bermuda, where she is beginning to provide contract music therapy services with Synergy Music Therapy & Wellness Services. She considers herself a life-long learner and has completed additional trainings in end-of-life care, palliative care, and early childhood development. Rebekah is also currently pursuing her Master’s in Healthcare Administration, seeking the necessary knowledge and skills to promote music therapy and its efficacy within the pediatric medical environment. Regardless of where or with whom she is implementing services, she utilizes an eclectic music therapy approach to meet everyone where they are.

In this episode Rebekah talks about the experience of holding space for music therapy service users that extend the offer of hope if they need it. Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

Rebekah Martin is a board -certified music therapist and NICU Music Therapist who has worked in the pediatric medical setting for four years. She currently lives in beautiful Bermuda, where she is beginning to provide contract music therapy services with Synergy Music Therapy & Wellness Services. She considers herself a life-long learner and has completed additional trainings in end-of-life care, palliative care, and early childhood development. Rebekah is also currently pursuing her Master’s in Healthcare Administration, seeking the necessary knowledge and skills to promote music therapy and its efficacy within the pediatric medical environment. Regardless of where or with whom she is implementing services, she utilizes an eclectic music therapy approach to meet everyone where they are. 

In this episode Rebekah talks about the experience of holding space for music therapy service users that extend the offer of hope if they need it. Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Within the field of Music Therapy there are a multitude of modalities to practice which support the many ways in which we as humans can express ourselves and align with each therapists’ authentic approach.

We were thrilled to be joined by Melissa Tan for episode eight of Able Voice Podcast as we scratched the surface of one approach, neurologic music therapy. In the episode, Melissa shares of her experience and journey as a Neurologic Music Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist and our conversation carries us to several other important pieces such as studying and internship experiences, self care, and adapting to telehealth music therapy.

What are your connections to NMT?

Within the field of Music Therapy there are a multitude of modalities to practice which support the many ways in which we as humans can express ourselves and align with each therapists’ authentic approach.

We are thrilled to be joined by Melissa Tan for episode eight of Able Voice Podcast as we scratch the surface of one approach, neurologic music therapy. In the episode, Melissa shares of her experience and journey as a Neurologic Music Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist and our conversation carries us to several other important pieces such as studying and internship experiences, self care, and adapting to telehealth music therapy.

What are your connections to NMT?

What do three millennial women of varying professions have in common? A shared philosophy and passion for enhancing dementia care and supporting those they work with!

In this debrief of the "Dementia Care and Radical Authenticity" Able Voice Podcast episode, we are joined by Kaylee (MT-BC), Jaell (Art Therapist + Mental Health Counselor), and Erin (Positive Approach to Care® Certified Independent Trainer), of the Creative Dementia Collective. They share of their individual journeys, how the collective came to be, and provide us with tangible elements of their work.

As a multi-modality trio, these millennials have an extensive toolkit to best support those they work with and they use this to their advantage knowing that “Different things work for different people at different times”.

What do three millennial women of varying professions have in common? A shared philosophy and passion for enhancing dementia care and supporting those they work with!

In this episode of the Able Voice Podcast we are joined by Kaylee (MT-BC), Jaell (Art Therapist + Mental Health Counselor), and Erin (Positive Approach to Care® Certified Independent Trainer), of the Creative Dementia Collective. They share of their individual journeys, how the collective came to be, and provide us with tangible elements of their work.

As a multi-modality trio, these millennials have an extensive toolkit to best support those they work with and they use this to their advantage knowing that “Different things work for different people at different times”.

Sue Baines is a social activist. She has a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from New York University where she applied a feminist framework to music therapy, and a PhD from the University of Limerick where she studied music therapy and social justice. She is a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery trained through the Southeast Institute for Music Centered Psychotherapy in Atlanta, GA and is certified by the Canadian Association for Music Therapy. She has extensive music therapy experience working with persons with a broad spectrum of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual concerns in a variety of clinical and community settings. Sue has practiced music therapy in Vancouver since 1994 and taught in the Bachelor of Music Therapy program at Capilano University in North Vancouver since 1997. She works, researches, and publishes on topics in anti-oppressive music therapy with the goal of ending systemic oppression both in music therapy and globally.

Sue Baines is a social activist. She has a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from New York University where she applied a feminist framework to music therapy, and a PhD from the University of Limerick where she studied music therapy and social justice. She is a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery trained through the Southeast Institute for Music Centered Psychotherapy in Atlanta, GA and is certified by the Canadian Association for Music Therapy. She has extensive music therapy experience working with persons with a broad spectrum of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual concerns in a variety of clinical and community settings. Sue has practiced music therapy in Vancouver since 1994 and taught in the Bachelor of Music Therapy program at Capilano University in North Vancouver since 1997. She works, researches, and publishes on topics in anti-oppressive music therapy with the goal of ending systemic oppression both in music therapy and globally.

The concept of self-care is an ongoing conversation within today’s society and especially within the therapy community. But what does it actually look like?  

In this episode of the Able Voice Podcast we are grateful to be joined by Ami Kunimura of the Self Care Institute to explore this a bit more deeply. Throughout this conversation Ami shares of her own journey towards becoming a music therapist, understanding burnout and self care, and to the creation of the self care institute. She shares great insight and tangible steps to take to support your self care practice within your personal life, professional life, and mindset.  

The concept of self-care is an ongoing conversation within today’s society and especially within the therapy community. But what does it actually look like?

In this episode of the Able Voice Podcast we are grateful to be joined by Ami Kunimura of the Self Care Institute to explore this a bit more deeply. Throughout this conversation Ami shares of her own journey towards becoming a music therapist, understanding burnout and self care, and to the creation of the self care institute. She shares great insight and tangible steps to take to support your self care practice within your personal life, professional life, and mindset.

“If the person is the answer, what is the question?”

As therapists we are often seeking information and responses from the people we work with. But what happens if we shift the mindset? In this episode we engage in a thought provoking conversation with Paul Lauzon exploring elements of human connection within therapy and the various perspectives that we hold both inside and outside of the therapy space. Paul shares his journey and insights into our inquisitive nature, along with tangible elements and questions for us to consider along our journeys.

“If the person is the answer, what is the question?”

As therapists we are often seeking information and responses from the people we work with. But what happens if we shift the mindset? In this episode we engage in a thought provoking conversation with Paul Lauzon exploring elements of human connection within therapy and the various perspectives that we hold both inside and outside of the therapy space. Paul shares his journey and insights into our inquisitive nature, along with tangible elements and questions for us to consider along our journeys.

In this episode of the Able Voice Podcast Debrief, Kim and Hayley speak candidly about episode 2 of season 3 with guest Dr. Emily Doolittle. In the main episode Emily sheds light on the close connection between human life and that of the critters and world around us. She takes us deeper into the world of zoomusicology, animal song, and shares more about her musical and written work within that realm.

Join us in this contemplative episode as we reflect on the interactions between animal and human sound, ecocentric community, colonialist considerations, and the relationship between music and nature.

Have you ever been mesmerized by the sound of a bird? Another animal? Nature?

In this episode of the Able Voice Podcast we connect with Emily Doolittle, a Canadian composer, researcher, and zoomusicologist who sheds light on the close connection between human life and that of the critters and world around us. Emily takes us deeper into the world of zoomusicology, animal song, and shares more about her musical and written work within that realm.

Join us in this contemplative episode as we reflect on the interactions between animal and human sound, ecocentric community, colonialist considerations, and the relationship between music and nature.

This is the debrief for our first episode of Able Voice Season 3. In the episode we were joined by Stephanie Leavell of Music for Kiddos learned more about her music therapy journey, her company, and authentic style of practicing.

As a highly passionate person Stephanie is no stranger to the concept of burnout. In this episode we hear of her connection to burnout, how it has impacted her current way of living, and a few key takeaways of her learnings that just might be helpful for the rest of us.

Stephanie demonstrates and tells us of her approach to practicing, often referred to by her and mentors as “clinical fun” and shows us what can happen if we remain open to fun, embrace life’s pivots and listen intently to ourselves and the universe.

In our first episode of Able Voice Season 3 we are joined by Stephanie Leavell of Music for Kiddos to go behind the scenes of her music therapy journey and how her company and authentic style of practicing came to be.

As a highly passionate person Stephanie is no stranger to the concept of burnout. In this episode we hear of her connection to burnout, how it has impacted her current way of living, and a few key takeaways of her learnings that just might be helpful for the rest of us.

Stephanie demonstrates and tells us of her approach to practicing, often referred to by her and mentors as “clinical fun” and shows us what can happen if we remain open to fun, embrace life’s pivots and listen intently to ourselves and the universe.

SURPRISE!🎉 This minisode not only features a conversation with Hayley & Kim about the ways we honour and celebrate the in-between moments, but it also features a special announcement😁...  

That's a wrap! This is our last episode of season 2 and we're going out with a bang, a laugh, and a lot fo fun! We hope that you enjoy this short light hearted episode and remember to always embrace the authentic moments - imperfections and all.